Hakone

Hakone is also the name of a Town (箱根町). The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. Its download section has some guide maps in English - seek for 英語 ("English").

The nearest airports to Hakone are quite a distance away in the Tokyo area. If you are interested in booking a stay at a traditional ryokan in Hakone, it is strongly recommended that you plan to arrive in Hakone at least one day after you land in Tokyo. If you go to Hakone on the same day that you arrive, there is a good chance you might miss out on (and be charged for) dinner at the ryokan, or worse, you may be locked out of (and be charged for) your room at the ryokan's curfew time, if there is one.

If you land at Haneda Airport early enough, there are two direct buses to Hakone-Yumoto train station, stopping in Yokohama along the way. Buses leave starting from the International Terminal/Terminal 3 at 08:25 and 12:35, with return trips leaving Hakone-Yumoto at 13:00 and 16:30. The one-way fare is ¥2000 and the trip takes about 2 hr.

Otherwise, from Haneda, take the Keikyu Line to Yokohama, the JR Tokaido Line to Odawara, and finally the Hakone-Tozan Line to Hakone-Yumoto (2 hr, ¥1650). Alternatively, take the Keikyu Line to Shinagawa and transfer to the shinkansen (see below).

There are no direct transport links to Hakone from Narita Airport. Plan on allotting between 2½ and 4 hr if heading to Hakone, depending on the route taken. The easiest route with luggage may be to take the JR Narita Express or a highway bus to Shinjuku and change to the Odakyu Romancecar (see below).

The fastest and most expensive method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take a Tokaido Shinkansen all-stop Kodama (こだま) train from Tokyo to Odawara which leave 1-2 times per hour, then transfer to the Hakone-Tozan Line for the run to Hakone-Yumoto (trains operated by Odakyu Railway). The one-way fare starts from ¥3600 for unreserved seating, but with a Japan Rail Pass you need only to pay ¥320 for the Hakone-Tozan line - easily done with a Suica or PASMO card (Limited Express trains require an extra ¥200 surcharge). With a good connection, the trip takes one hour.

Be aware that any JR East Rail Pass will not provide access to the Tokaido Shinkansen and to make use of this pass you will need to ride the regular Tokaido Main Line to Odawara. From Tokyo, a convenient choice is the Odoriko limited express train, which operates a few times every day. Advance seat reservations are possible.

Rail Pass holders can also use regular JR commuter trains to Odawara, which otherwise cost ¥1840 and take 75-90 min from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku. Unreserved Green Car (First Class) seats are available on a first-come first-serve basis. The surcharge for Green Car seats between Tokyo and Odawara is ¥1000 on weekdays and ¥800 on weekends and holidays, purchased in advance using an IC card (e.g. Suica) or a ticket. You can also purchase a Green Car seat on the train for an additional fee.

The affordable and more direct method of reaching Hakone from Tokyo is to take the Odakyu Odawara Line from Shinjuku. The fastest trains on the Odakyu Line are the Hakone (はこね) and Super Hakone (スーパーはこね) Romancecar services, which run twice an hour for most of the day. The 85-90 min journey costs ¥2330. Slower commuter trains reach Hakone in about 2 hr at a cost of ¥1220 (change trains in Odawara).

Odakyu Super Hakone services also offer saloon seating - private compartments with a table that can seat up to 4 people. The saloon fare from Shinjuku to Hakone is ¥4440 for the compartment in addition to the basic fare for each passenger.

Rail connections can be made at Odawara from Nagoya (2 1/2 hrs), Kyoto (3 hrs) and other locations throughout Japan. An alternate route from central and western Japan is to exit the Tokaido Shinkansen at Mishima and take the hourly Tokai Bus Orange Shuttle to Hakone-machi (42 min, ¥990) or Moto-Hakone (53 min, ¥1050).

Odakyu Hakone Highway Bus operates several buses from the Tokyo area to Hakone-Togendai via Gotemba Station. Most buses leave from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal (Busta Shinjuku) every 30 minutes between 06:35 and 14:05, then hourly until 19:05. Return buses leave Togendai at 07:30, 08:30, 09:30, then every 30 minutes until 18:00 (2 hr 30 min, ¥2040 each way). Odakyu Bus also operates four daily round-trips between Haneda Airport, Yokohama and Togendai (¥1300/¥1990 respectively) and two express round-trips between Haneda, Yokohama and Hakone-Yumoto train station (¥2000/¥1550 respectively).

Both Odakyu and JR Bus operate hourly trips between Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal and Togendai (¥2040; ¥1940 if purchased in advance).

Despite the mountainous location and numerous transfers, travelers with disabilities can enjoy the entire Hakone Round Course. Unfortunately, getting to the many hot springs and art galleries is a different matter altogether as many mid-route stations are inaccessible or are on very steep hills.

• Hotel Suimeisou (箱根水明荘), 702 Yumoto, ☏ +81 460-85-5381, fax: +81 460-85-6628, reserve@suimeisou.com. Check-in: 15:00-22:00, check-out: 10:00. This delightful Japanese style hotel is well-run. The main branch has 31 Japanese-style rooms. 12 Western-style single rooms with private bath are available at the annex across the street. There is free WiFi in the lobby, 24 hour natural spa baths (separated by gender) and a public open-air spa bath. Private open-air hot spring baths are available. Japanese banquet rooms, bar with a karaoke machine, karaoke rooms, meeting rooms, souvenir shop are available. Room ¥7245, room with breakfast ¥10,500, room with dinner and breakfast ¥14,500. 
• Kappa-tengoku (かっぱ天国), 777 Yumoto, Hakone-machi, ☏ +81 460-856121. Check-out: 10:00. A well-located if slowly crumbling cheap inn, featuring large open-air baths on the roof. Meals are optional and run ¥1470 for dinner and ¥840 for breakfast. The staff is very welcoming and helpful but speak very little English. You can also leave your luggage there before check-in and after check-out for free. You get more than what you pay for at this ryokan with the Japanese-style accommodations, all natural open-air baths, and good service. Different prices for different rooms. They charge per person. ¥6780 after April 1 2014 for a room without bathroom for two people. 

• Fuji Hakone Guest House (富士箱根ゲストハウス), 912 Sengokuhara (take the "T" bus in the direction of Togendai from either Odawara or Hakone-Yumoto to the Senkyouro-Mae stop,about 50/40 minutes respectively), ☏ +81 460-84-6577, fax: +81 46084-6578, hakone-@pop21.odn.ne.jp. Very well located guest house popular with Japanese and foreigners. Comfortable Japanese style rooms and breakfast are available. There are two natural hot baths available for guests' use - the indoors one is free, and the outdoors is ¥500 per half-hour. As you check in, you'll be prompted to choose the preferred times - the baths will be then reserved for your exclusive use. Staff speak English, and the owners, Mr and Mrs Takahashi, are happy to offer sightseeing advice. 
• Hotel Okuyumoto (ホテルおくゆもと), 211 Yumoto Chaya, ☏ +81 460-85-6271. Featuring open-air baths beside a mountain stream, offers mostly Japanese-style tatami rooms but also has some Western-style rooms. 
• Hotel Okada (ホテルおかだ), 191 Yumoto Chaya, ☏ +81 460-85-6000. With 117 rooms, and 5 natural spring sources, Hotel Okada offers Western, Fusion and Japanese-style 'tatami' rooms. 
• Hotel Nanpuso (ホテル南風荘), Yumoto Chaya 179, ☏ +81 460-85-5505. Popular for its spa and ladies esthetic salon, Nanpuso offers mainly Japanese style 'tatami' rooms. 
• Hotel Senkei (ホテル仙景), 592 Yumoto Hakone-machi Ashigara-Shimogun Kanagawa 250-0311, ☏ +81 460-85-5500, fax: +81 460-85-7765, senkei@palette.plala.or.jp. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 10:00. A ryokan designed in a Japanese inn style. Offers excellent hot springs and an open-air bath is provided in each room. (updated Mar 2019)
• Hakone Hotel Kowakien (箱根ホテル小涌園), 1297 Ninotaira Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa, ☏ +81 460-82-4111, fax: +81 460-82-4123. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. It is a resort hotel surrounded by nature in Hakone. The rooms vary from Japanese style, European style to Japanese-European style. There are open-air onsens so you can enjoy the bath and the view of nature. Restaurant is a smorgasbord style with European style meal, Japanese style meal, iron plate grills and so on. For guests who are not used to travel around Japan, there are many rooms, onsens, restaurants and other facilities so guests can enjoy the stay with no worries. 
• Ryokan Kiritani Hakoneso (旅館桐谷箱根荘), 1320-598, Gora, Hakonemachi, Ashigarashimogun, Kamigawa, ☏ +81 460-82-2246, fax: +81 460-82-1753, kiritani@japanbooking.info. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 10:00. A Japanese ryokan. Includes public and private (family room) natural hot spring bath. Quiet and surrounded by nature. Provides Japanese cuisine with seasonal, fresh ingredients. Run by the Kiritani Family who are friendly and eager to show foreigners about Japanese culture. Japanese-style tatami rooms from ¥10,000 per person including breakfast and dinner. 
• 🌍 Asante Inn (アサンテ・イン). Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 10:00. Guest house with a Japanese garden and two private hot spring baths, which guests can reserve for an hour. (updated Mar 2024)

• Hakone Onsen Lalaca Hotel (楽々花), 1320-270 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun 250-0408, ☏ +81 460-86-0777. It is said that many people got to know about Hakone Onsen after Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a general during the age of civil wars fought at a battle in Odawara. In Edo Era, it attracted many people as one of the Onsens along Tokaido, one of 5 major boulevards in Japan. The hotel has 8 rooms, which range from 1 to 5 people, breakfast and dinner included in all rates, hotspring services available for all guests; enjoy brown cookies and tea service in every room. In the ages of Tokugawa Iemitsu, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, Kenjyouyu, presentation of the hot spring water to General was often performed. Nowadays there are many museums and sightseeing spots around here. Since it is such a good place to see how the nature changes every season, many tourists, most of them are from metropolitan area of Tokyo, come and visit all year round. 
• Fujiya Hotel (富士屋ホテル), 359 Miyanoshita, Hakone-machi, Kanagawa-ken 250-0, ☏ +81 460-82-2211. One of the oldest Western-style hotels in Japan, dating back to 1891, it was inspired by Victorian American hostelry, but it has an English feel to it. The Fujiya has its own onsen, koi pond, and gardens. With a choice between the Japanese and Western breakfasts, go for the Japanese, with little portions of fish and vegetables. Although expensive, get the rate with the meals included, as there are few other options for dining in the area. 
• Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa, 1320 Gora Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, ☏ +81 460 82 2000, info@hyattregencyhakone.com. The hotel has 56-60 m² guestrooms with large bathrooms and attracts both leisure and business travellers who are looking for a retreat from the city in the Fuji Hakone Izu National Park. 
• Gora Kadan (強羅花壇), 1300 Gôra, Hakone Ashigarashimogun, ☏ +81 460 82 3331, info@gorakadan.com. This Relais Chateaux hotel has 37 guestrooms with large bathrooms. The hotel is styled after a ryokan, but boasts many more services including a pool, amazingly designed rooms and a spa. All that luxury doesn't come cheap, however.